Sponsored by Holiday House
Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793, Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace, and Katherine Paterson’s Lyddie—this riveting historical fiction YA novel is for you. Sixteen-year-old Orpha is imprisoned in the infamous Tothill prison for crimes she did not commit and harbors a terrible secret about the man who put her there. When an unusual invitation from Charles Dickens arrives, she finds the way out of the broken cycle of poverty and crime she was longing for. Orpha’s heartbreaking yet inspiring story tells of the resilience and courage needed to start over when the deck has always been stacked against you.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).
Collection Development Corner
New & Upcoming Titles
- We have a title and a cover reveal for the upcoming Hunger Games prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! Who’s excited?!
- Susanna Clarke announces her first book since Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was published fifteen years ago.
- More muppet arm news! Yaa Gyasi, author of the incredible novel Homegoing, is publishing a new book in 2020 called Transcendent Kingdom!
- A look at Julie Murphy’s upcoming YA novel, Faith: Taking Flight, which centers a plus-size superhero.
- Dolly Parton just signed a book deal with indie publisher Chronicle Books.
- Bill Gates is publishing a book about climate change.
- Quentin Tarantino is writing a novel.
- Jim Carrey is publishing his first novel, Memoirs and Misinformation, in 2020.
- Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) is writing a memoir, but it likely won’t be published until 2023.
- A first look at M.C. Carey’s new series.
- 50 crime novels coming out this fall and winter.
- 50 must-read children’s books from the second half of 2019.
- October book lists from Amazon, Barnes & Noble (Biographies/Memoirs, History & Current Affairs, SFF), BBC, Book Marks (SFF), Bustle, CrimeReads, Entertainment Weekly, io9 (SFF), Lambda Literary, LitHub, The Millions (poetry), Refinery29, Time
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Make it Scream, Make it Burn – Leslie Jamison (New York Times, New Yorker, NPR)
- Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl – Jeannie Velasco (Bustle, New York Times, NPR)
- Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo (New York Times, Washington Post)
- Imaginary Friend – Stephen Chbosky (NPR, Washington Post)
- The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience – Hillary Rodham Clinton & Chelsea Clinton (CBS, Good Morning America)
- Face It: A Memoir – Debbie Harry (New York Times, Washington Post)
- The Topeka School – Ben Lerner (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times)
- Quichotte – Salman Ruchdie (Hollywood Reporter, Time)
RA/Genre Resources
- Horror suggestions based on films and your scary tolerance levels.
- On body horror and the female body.
All Things Comics
- Abrams debuts a new LGBTQ graphic novel imprint.
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is getting a graphic novel trilogy.
- Vanity Fair looks at the controversy surrounding the Joker film and how it will likely play out at the box office.
- A preview of Carmen Maria Machado’s upcoming comic debut, The Low, Low Woods.
- A sneak peak at three upcoming comics from Joe Hill.
- Dark Horse Comics is releasing a collection of Neil Gaiman’s short graphic fiction.
- The Phantom of the Opera is being adapted as a graphic novel.
- Top 10 comics and graphic novels used in schools.
- 5 spooky graphic novels to get you in the Halloween mood.
- The pros and cons of comic cons.
- What makes a good comic book adaptation?
Audiophilia
- Penguin Random House released a free, professionally read version of the Ukraine whistleblower complaint.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- 25 children’s books about health and safety.
- 50 must-read scary books for kids.
- Awesome co-written YA novels.
Adults
- 10 best debut novels of the decade.
- 7 memoirs from women who know their way around politics.
- Creepy Scandinavian novels by women.
- 15 essential novels of the #MeToo movement.
- A reading list for fans of The Good Place.
- 8 books to read if you loved The Testaments.
- 11 books to help you make sense of the impeachment process.
- Historical romances with queer women characters.
- 10 books about black radicalism.
- Books by women to read during Filipino American History Month.
Level Up (Library Reads)
Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? We’ve made it easy for you to find eligible diverse titles to nominate. Kelly Jensen created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
Thanks for hanging! See you on Friday!
–Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The Whisper Man by Alex North.